UN chief says stop flow of weapons to Sudan

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday he is worried that weapons and fighters keep flowing into Sudan, perpetuating a civil war about to enter its third year.

The war, which erupted on 15 April 2023, has left tens of thousands dead, pushed parts of Sudan into famine and fractured the country into warlord-run territories.

"The external support and flow of weapons must end," Guterres said without naming any specific country in a statement issued a day before the second anniversary of the start of the war between Sudan's army and its paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

"Those with greatest influence on the parties must use it to better the lives of people in Sudan, not to perpetuate this disaster," said Guterres.

Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the paramilitary forces with arms shipments. Those fighters and the Gulf state deny the charges.

In early 2024, UN experts assigned to overseeing sanctions against Sudan reported arms embargo violations, saying there was a supply route running from Abu Dhabi to Darfur in western Sudan via Chad.

However, in their last report early this year, the experts said they could not confirm actual transfers of military material along this route from Chad to Darfur.

They said, however, that weapons had come in from Libya but could not identify who sent them.

The UN experts also said fighters had been recruited in neighbouring countries like Chad, Libya and the Central African Republic and sent to South Sudan.

They added there were credible accusations that Colombian mercenaries were fighting with the paramilitary side in Sudan.

"The only way to ensure the protection of civilians is to end this senseless conflict," Guterres said Monday.